The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1887-02-02
THE PROHIBITION PARTY,
ire There Just and Sufficient Rea.
SONS for Its Existence.
No. 3.

he temperance question is of right
political question.
| It is objected by some that it is
L. question that belongs in the do.
1 main of morals only. Now it is
Worth while to consider when a
Iouestion passes from the domain of
morals alone into the list of ques-
lions moral political? We answer
whenever there is not general con-
| cent to the moral character of the act
in question, and one party seek 8
shelter under law for doing what
others regard as wrong. No party
is necessary to enact laws against
/ theft or murder, or for the protec.
| ton of the person from impure
violence or the reputation from
slanderous attack. No one pre-.
lsumes to advocate the propriety
| Of these things or to secure the en-
sctment of laws in any way author.
ling or protecting them. The
general consent of the citizens is
sgainst these things. But let
sufficient number of men in any
community agree to demand the
enactment of laws favoring these
practices, or contrive to have such
laws passed, and at once they take
the question out of the range of
pure morals into politics. Now it
was precisely by this course that
the old question of slavery became
political question, and it's advo-
Gates made it 90. For the same
reason the temperance question
has become q political question,
and the liquor men have made it
so by securing laws in their own
interests and constantly charging
their demands. They have done
this step by step through the
agency Of both parties, and the op-
posing element in either party
we're helpless. They could discuss
the immortality Of such laws with
their opponents, but selfish greed
listened not to moral arguments,
snd now the question must be
settled as political question or
temperance men must quietly bow
their heads and yield the field to
the enemy. The yoke will not be
|less CALLING because of moral pro-
test. Even on the assumption
that license laws are restrictive
and not in the interests of the traf-
6c, the same result follows. The
basis of the law then becomes the
fact that the business is of such a
character that public safety re-
quires it to be put under certain
restraints or in other words that it
is a political question. And then
when the liquor men with their
allies conspire together toevade the
law and to this end carry their et-
forts to the ballot box and the leg
islative halls and the judicial
chamber and by brides and by
threats and the free use of their in.
nxicants to destroy the reason of
their dupes, succeed in defying
both laws and law makers, there
is nothing left to temperance men
but to meet them on the ground
they have chosen. We need not lose
sight of the moral phases of the ques-
ton. They are not less important be-
cause there is another side.
But the great fact is hereby
brought out, that our political life
needs leavening of moral force or
We must by the force of the evil
current be carried into the whirl-
pool of political ruin. is just as
true now as in the days of the
Psalmist, "The wicked walk on
every side when vileness is exalted
among the sons of men. " There
was time when the moral phases
Of the temperance question pre-
dominated, and prayertul efforts sc
restrain men from destroying
themselves was not only legitimate
temperance work, but the main
feature of the work. Then men
had to hunt the destroyer. But
now it is reversed. The destroyer
hunts men. Hunts them with
a license in his hand, given under
the seal of the State. Seizes them
at all ages, murders them, and
makes them murderers, and If